Nelly and Ashanti were the sweetest duet partners while performing at E11EVEN Miami’s 10th anniversary party on Friday. The couple, who rekindled their longtime romance last year after calling it quits in 2013, gave a joint musical performance to an enthusiastic crowd.
Ashanti, 43, and Nelly, 49, walked the red carpet together before taking to the stage. The Falling For You artist kept it chic in an all-pink ensemble, dressed in an oversized Balenciaga jersey dress with hot pink sunglasses and pointed booties. Nelly sported a large white shirt with indigo cargo pants and a heavy diamond chain to match his watch and bracelets.
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Rapper Fat Joe later joined onstage for a second performance, bringing the audience back to the early aughts as he and Ashanti performed their greatest hits together.
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Ashanti teased the trio’s performance to her fans before they hit the stage via an Instagram post shared on Friday. “Miami!!!!! It’s up tonight!!!! Me and @nelly @11miami 10 year anniversary celebration!!!! See you there!!!” she captioned a pic of the event flyer featuring her and Nelly.
“Time for an unforgettable night,” the venue commented in reply to her post.
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for E11EVEN
Ashanti and Nelly have become inseparable since they sent the R&B world into a frenzy after being spotted together for the first time last year.
In April, the rapper and the “Rain on Me” singer were seen holding hands as they walked through T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight. In another video posted to social media, the duo was captured performing their hit, “Body on Me,” during a pool party.
Two months later, they made their first red carpet appearance at Quality Control CEO Pierre “P” Thomas’ birthday celebration.
In September, Ashanti walked the red carpet of the 2023 MTV VMAs sans Nelly, but kept him close. Along with her shimmery dress, Ashanti carried a purse that featured a picture of her and the “Hot in Herre” rapper from the 2003 ceremony.
Nelly’s reaction? “That thang was jammin’, huh,” Nelly told ET, as he was all smiles, following his performance at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards.
The “Dilemma” emcee was the one to officially confirm that the pair were back together. During an interview with Love and Hip Hop‘s Rasheeda and Kirk Frost, he admitted that rekindling their romance was a “surprise” for both of them.
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for E11EVEN
“It wasn’t anything that I don’t think was planned,” he shared, adding that he believes time apart played a role in their rekindled relationship. “I think we both were pretty much doing what we do, but sometimes being separate you understand one another more. You be like, ‘Yo, let me see exactly what they see.’ You know, because we all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it. But we all a victim to that.”
When asked if his relationship with Ashanti “feels good now,” Nelly told the hosts that it did.
“I mean, because it’s no pressure. Before I felt like both of us were doing what we were doing before career-wise, and when you got so many people in the middle of it, it can be tough,” he added.
